I am a member of FOCS and agree it is sedate but then that is in the spirit of the Chalet School! I joined some years ago and thoroughly enjoy the magazine which I then pass to my mum as she intorduced me to the series having read it as a girl in tho 40s. Sadly I am childless so have no daughter to pass our love of the series on to - my friend has a 18 month old girl though so I live in hope

I've been a member of FOCS for many years, it was FOCS that made me realise how many of the books were abridged and introduced me to the non Chalet EBDs. I've bought and sold books through their lists which is one of the reasons I keep up the membership. There are still some good stories in the magazines, probably slightly fewer since the CBB. Can't compare with NCC as I've never belonged to it.

Do you enjoy the subversive twist of the CBB or the analytical/lit crit strand of GO....both can be found in the NCC.The FOCS magazine is a little more middle of the road and reflects the religious thread of the CS more.Both are excellent value for money(IMO).

I've had both in the past. NCC can be a bit weak in content, and FOCS in recent times has been dominated by liberty bodices and identikit holidays to the Achensee, but it is lovely to have it come through the door and "know you're not the only one"!

It's interesting to read what people are saying. I am a member of both FOCS and the NCC but seem to feel differently from a lot of people here as I don't really enjoy the FOCS magazine which, for me, feels slow and unfocussed. I think it is because I am used to being able to discuss ideas/get questions answered etc. within hours online rather than three months later but I know that to a lot of people it is valued and treasured. TBH I mostly stay with FOCS because of the Sales & Wants booklets.

One of the thinks I have liked most about the NCC is the AGM weekends. I know that not everyone can get to them due to location/cost/life getting in the way but I have found them to be great places to meet other Chalet fans, see CS locations, buy books etc. I have made good friends there and will always be grateful for that. The journals I find a bit up and down but they don't feel as cliquey as FOLLY can which I sometimes find a bit off-putting as it makes me feel excluded.

I suppose the question is "what do you want from a society?". I'd be really interested to hear what anyone has to say as it has been something I've been pondering lately.

I've never tried the NCC so can't comment on that. I like the FOCS magazines although, as other people have said, they seem very slow compared to having ongoing discussions with immediate responses on the internet, and a lot of room seems to be taken up with descriptions of people's trips to the Achensee and talk about people's cats, but the annual subscription isn't particularly high and I think it provides good value for money.

I seem to lurk rather than post here these days, but I am trying to get back into the habit...

I joined both FOCS and the NCC when I was a student (c1998), but let my NCC membership lapse after a year or two (couldn't afford both). I gave up on FOCS in about 2005 when I realised that the part of the magazine I looked forward to the most was Sales and Wants. I was less and less interested in reading accounts of visits to the Achensee, and I was getting some superb CS interaction via the CBB so it didn't quite fit with what I wanted to read anymore. I know a lot of people who do still read and enjoy, but it just wasn't for me.

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